The ideal for selling tins of fish-based meals came during a visit to Portugal and its sardine canneries, says Henry Lovejoy, Owner and Co-founder of Freshé Meals.
“Portugal is not that big, but we took 11 days and drove 2,000 miles, so we zigzagged the country about the size of Indiana and went to a dozen sardine canneries looking for the perfect sardine and the perfect cannery to work with,” Henry says. “At the end of one meeting, they said, you have a little extra time. We have a new concept. We would love your feedback. And they brought out tins with sardines in them. But there was also olive oil and beans and spices and all in this easy, open serving tin. And we’d been looking for an opportunity.”
The biggest challenge, Henry says, was overcoming people’s perception of canned food.
“I grew up with lousy canned food in the supermarket,” he says. “When you travel to Europe, there are some premium quality canned fish. It’s a completely different culture.”
A celebrity chef was hired, and work began on global recipes. Meals were tweaked over many months. The mission is to use 100 percent certified sustainable seafood. Work has already started next on shrimp recipes.
Henry offers this advice for other entrepreneurs pursuing opportunities.
“You have to follow your heart – if you don’t have passion, you don’t have energy,” he says. “We’ve been doing this for 23 years now, and our commitment to sustainability is what keeps me coming into the office every day. ”
In Part 2, Henry talks about:
* The inspiration behind Freshé Meals.
* The misperceptions of canned food.
* The sourcing of ingredients and how Freshé sticks to sustainable seafood.
* Advice for other entrepreneurs.
* A closer look at Freshé’s current products.
* Where to find Freshé’s meals.
Join Ramon Vela and Henry Lovejoy as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.
For more on Freshé Meals, visit: https://freshemeals.com/
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